Customer Reviews

Raw for Dessert: Easy Delights for Everyone

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

You don't have to be a vegan to love this book. I LOVE it because we camp and backpack a lot and like making desserts that require no cooking.

The nice thing about the book is it has a huge variety of all season desserts, that even a non vegan would like. Love how the author begins on page 4 by listing all the ingredients that will be listed somewhere in the recipes, which allows a person to plan well for future dessert making. Starting on page 7 the equipment needed is listed and explained. The only thing I would have liked would have been substitutes that could be used. Like with a blender. Someone could invest in a food processor and use their blender blade, and a food processor is a multi use machine that takes up less kitchen space. And a food processor with a variety of blades can also do the job of a mandoline. A mandoline can be a tad pricey if you want one that will last.

And while I did invest in an Excalibur dehydrator, one need not buy a food dehydrator, since a mesh cookie cooler rack set on the oven rack and the temp set at 200* can dry food slow over night or all day. Same with page 10 where she says for dish's that one needs plates that are white and of various sizes. Use whatever plates you have .While I have no problem acquiring items like Agar flakes, agave syrup, carob powder, rose water,spy lecithin powder, and whole vanilla beans, some people in more rural areas or those without access to health food and natural food sections may have more difficulty.

The Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting on page 74-75 was excellent. The Jumble Berry Upside Down cake on page 72 is great since you can use pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, which makes this a very in season dessert. Try the Ginger Spice cookies on page 81 are cookies kids and adults would love.

As the author of a raw food book myself, I have read nearly every raw book out there. The great thing about Jennifer's book is the simplicity of her recipes. I can whip up one of her dishes in ten to twenty minutes (depending on my familiarity with it) and often that includes the clean up time.

In this book, each recipe has a handy listing of ingredients, a list of equipment necessary, and an "ahead of time" section. Many times I have decided to make a recipe when I realized I couldn't do it because I was supposed to have sprouted some seeds or soaked some nuts overnight. With this recipe book, we are warned of what preparation should be made ahead of time.

At the beginning of the book is a handy listing of ingredients to have handy at all times in your cupboard. These range from the norm (ex: spices) to the obscure (ex: agar flakes, a vegetarian substitute for gelatin). There is also a list of kitchen equipment, serving ware, and even techniques (ex: tips on how to open a coconut and cut certain fruits).

Jennifer starts out giving recipes for the "basics." These are items that will later combine in different recipes and include yummy frostings and creams (such as "Vanilla Cashew Cream"), sauces (like "Caramel Sauce", and crusts (like "Chocolate Cookie Crust"). Next comes a chapter for each of the following categories of desserts: fruit desserts; sorbets, ice creams and sundaes; cakes, cookies and bars; pies and tarts; creamy desserts; and candy. There are stunning colored photos sprinkled throughout to motivate us to get going!

People who have little experience eating raw will be amazed: These recipes will make their cooked counterparts seem so tame.

I just made the spice cake with vanilla cashew cream for a topping, a huge hit with my husband. I can't wait to make the key lime tart, coffee ice cream, chocolate candy cups, pine nut caramels and summer fruit trifle. The monthly raw food potluck group is going to love me!

First off I love my sweets but lately I have been trying to eat healthier. I had no expectations when I first got this book. I know next to nothing about foods in their raw states. When I opened this book, I was surprised at all the different recipes there were to choose from. There was everything from...Almond-Pecan crust to Dark Chocolate Truffles. The best part about these mouth-watering desserts is that they seem to be the healthier version.

I am glad that Jennifer added a guide of the ingredients mentioned in this book and explained what they were, as I had never heard of some of these items. There were ingredients listed like...Agave syrup, a syrup that is made from the agave plant. The syrup comes in two different kinds...the light for a mild sweetness or the dark for a more molasses flavor. Then there was Agar flakes. The Agar flake is a gelatin mixture that is made from various sea vegetables. My other favorite thing about Raw for Dessert is that all the desserts do not have to be cooked! With Raw for Dessert you can have your cake and enjoy it too. This is a must have book for anyone looking for an alterative to healthier desserts.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a raw foodie, I am vegan, but I am ALWAYS looking for new desserts that are not complicated to make and take virtually no time to put together. This book is it. I made the chocolate cake with fudge frosting and it was THE BEST chocolate cake I have ever had!! All of the recipes are very easy to follow and the author does a great job of explaining step by step with each recipe. I also like how she has at the very beginning of the book an explanation of all the ingredients and some of the equipment you'll need (which is basically your standard food processor). I like too that a lot of the frosting's and crusts used will keep in the freezer (no need to thaw before use) for up to 2 months! I never knew too how easy almond milk was to make along with my favorites pistachio ice cream (vegan and raw or course). I thought making vegan desserts was easy and delicious, but WOW!, raw food desserts is pretty fabulous too!

I already purchased her other book: Raw Food Made Easy, and loved all the recipes.
Later on, I found out about this book and decided to give a try.
Just as the first book, this book also delivered what it claimed.
Being a chocoholic, I tried the Dark Chocolate Truffles and completely fell in love with it!
They were sooooooo good and really simple & easy to make without buying unknown or hard-to-get ingredients. I've made them several times and gave some to my non-vegetarian friend to try.
She loves them so much. She did not believe they were raw and vegan, also made without refined sugar!

This book taught me, healthy & tasty treats can be made very easily without sacrificing flavor or our times. AND you don't have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy these treats.

Highly recommendable to everybody, especially who loves tasty dessert just like I do.

Thank you again Jennifer for this great book!

Those who must, for personal or medical reasons, confine themselves to a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other health-conscience diet can still enjoy really terrific deserts as meal time or snack time treats with Jennifer Cornbleet's "Raw For Dessert: Easy Delights For Everyone" culinary compilation of tasty recipes for cakes, pies, compotes, crumbles, custards, sorbets, ice creams, cookies, and even candies! Enhanced for browsing with occasional full color photographs of mouth-watering desserts, the recipes range from Almond Milk; Mango Carpaccio; Brazil Nut-Vanilla Ice Cream; and Chocolate Lava Cake; to Banana Cream Pie; Key Lime Pots de Creme; Pine Nut Caramels; and Blackberry Sorbet. A thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collections of easy do-it-yourself step-by-step recipes, "Raw For Dessert" will make a welcome and exceptionally popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections!

I just made the banana cream pie -- Actually 2 of them, and I am happy I did because this is really amazing! Desserts that are free of dairy, eggs, white flour, white sugar -- pretty amazing when you discover that they taste better than those counterparts as well!

I just received this book yesterday. Today, my 8 & 11 year old children and I made the Chocolate Ice Cream. A HUGE HIT!! Even I wanted to lick the bowl!! And my 11 year old daughter said she wants to make this instead of "regular" ice cream from now on... I am new to a raw lifestyle, I hadn't ventured in to raw desserts yet... and this book has officially blown me away! This ice cream was so chocolatey and rich, it tasted just like a gourmet "premium" commercial treat... but so much more satisfying knowing it was raw and healthy! Can't wait to try the other recipes... next up, we will be making the Fresh Fruit Tart and the Chocolate Cream Pie... I can't wait!!!

I made the Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone thought it was usually delicious and had no idea it was raw. Creative and delicious recipes. I would recommend this cookbook. TJ

I wish I could give this 10 stars. It is really that good.

I'm responsible for making desserts at my house. I made 6 recipes from this book for Passover. This book is so perfect for Passover because all the ingredients meet the dietary rules. My family and friends were amazed. And loved them.

My personal favorite was the banana cream pie. It takes some work to open those young coconuts and I almost lost of a finger, but it was worth it. My mom said that it tasted just like the banana cream pie that her mom used to make when she was a little girl. I can tell you, Grandma's pie wasn't vegan and it wasn't raw. This raw pie was just as good. It's not one of those tofu deals that always seem to have an aftertaste. This pie was perfect. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Other recipes in the book are super easy. I brought the ginger spice cookies in to work and people loved them. I couldn't stop eating them myself.